Pike County Youth Coalition response to John Kupillas

Regarding filling a board vacancy, Mr. Kupillas wrote:(Courier 10/17) “Can a teenager fresh out of high school connect to the residents served by this board? Maybe in the future, but not at this point. The section of the brain responsible for decision making and rational thinking doesn’t fully mature until the mid-twenties. Proof? Try to get auto insurance if you are a teen. The risk is the highest of any age group.” (Courier, 10/17/08) It is discouraging and disheartening that a public official, especially one who is responsible for the education of thousands our community’s students, would express such contempt for the candidacy of a recent Delaware Valley High School graduate, Ryan Balton. Mr. Balton is over 18 years of age and has lived in the district for over one year, meeting both qualifications for office. Disregarding Mr. Balton’s candidacy because of his age is not only unfair but also blatantly discriminatory. “To dismiss young people who want to become further involved in the democratic process through seeking public office, especially by reasoning that their brains are not fully developed, is destructive and unconscionable,” said Nick Troiano, PCYC’s Executive Director. Though PCYC does not endorse political candidates, including Mr. Balton, we support having a youth perspective in decision-making. “On a school board with nine members, the idea of having one of those be a recent student with intimate knowledge of the school system following 13 years of education should be welcomed, not publicly scorned,” commented Sam Dutkus, Board Member of PCYC. According to the Young Elected Leaders Project at Rutgers University, over half of the 20 most recent presidents held public office before age 35. Young people have demonstrated their capacity to be a constructive part of our governance. In this most recent election cycle, youth voter turnout has reached historic levels. We recognize that encouraging youth civic participation is vital to the future of a healthy democratic society. Young people under the age of 24 gathered in Pike County in an unprecedented effort almost a year ago to form the Pike County Youth Coalition, which has grown to over 200 members and supporters since then. “Our main mission is to mobilize young people to become engaged in their community. We find it insulting and counter-productive to have a school board member, who should be nurturing this quality in DV’s students, say such disheartening things to our community’s youth,” said Eric Neumann, Chair of the Schools and Education Committee for PCYC. Young people’s brains are developed enough to let us drive, vote, and even die in war. It is outrageous to claim that when it comes to having a say in the affairs of the school district we all deeply care about, that our brains are then not able to function as well as those of older people. “We strongly believe that participation in community improvement transcends age. Young people bring a useful perspective to the decision-making table, and it is very discouraging that Mr. Kupillas would publicly express such disdain for the efforts of a recent graduate to use his experience and knowledge to serve the district,” Troiano added. Kaitlin Paul PCYC Communications Director